It’s that time of year again. Rumors are starting swirl as Brian Cashman looks to address the weaknesses on the New York Yankees’ roster as we approach the end of July.
This year is simpler than most: you need pitching. Even though the current top target for the Yanks seems to be third baseman Eugenio Suarez, this injury-plagued pitching staff needs addressing.
After Clarke Schmidt went under the knife for Tommy John surgery, the Yankees are now without four key starting pitchers: Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, Ryan Yarbrough, and Schmidt. That’s almost an entire rotation’s worth of injuries. Gil is expected to return soon, but it’s unclear how effective he will be.
A lot of players have stepped up in the absence of these guys, but it’s just not enough. The unit is wearing thin and needs support.
Reports are starting to surface that that the Yankees are narrowing their search for at least one starting pitcher at the deadline, with names like Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly, and Zac Gallen being floated around.
Trades for any of those pitchers would likely come in package deals, with any business being done with the Diamondbacks almost certainly involving Suarez, the golden goose of this year’s trade deadline. On the flip side, a trade with the Pirates would likely involve Ke’Bryan Hayes, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, or David Bednar.
But one name that has gone relatively unnoticed could be a perfect fit for the Yankees: White Sox starting pitcher Adrian Houser, who has been fantastic in his 10 starts on the South Side. He has posted a 1.89 ERA through 62 innings with 44 strikeouts.
Now, do we expect him to continue to perform at such a ridiculous level if he does get dealt to the Yankees? Probably not. But could he very well be an excellent third of fourth starter? Absolutely. He has two very good fastball shapes, a trait pitching coach Matt Blake and the rest of the Yankees staff adore. His breaking stuff hasn’t been great, but you would imagine that would be something that gets worked on.
Given that the White Sox will no doubt be intent on selling at the deadline, looking to pounce on one of their few prized possessions could be a good move for the Yankees. It’s a bonus he wouldn’t cost much. The Bronx Bombers would, at most, have to give up two or three mid-tier prospects. That’s especially important since proposed deals with other ball clubs would cost the Yankees much more, with several teams already courting top prospects Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., and Can Schlittler.
If anything, the need for starting pitching should at least have Brian Cashman consider guys like Houser, who could come in as part of an under-the-radar trade and help this team win ball games down the stretch. He may not be the savior the Yankees need, but sometimes all you need is a guy who takes the balls every five days and puts your offense in a position to win a ball game. And we think that’s what he could be.
